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This 11th-century fort (remodelled in the 18th century) has a spectacular clifftop setting and a park with avenues of ash.

A traditional, upmarket campsite – with no caravans or bungalows – in the grounds of an elegant Auge château, where (if you book) you can dine three nights a week. It has a gorgeous heated pool, crêperie , bar, grocery and games room. No karaoke nights here; instead, they stage open-air classical music recitals.

In the heart of the Pays d’Auge, this stone-built château makes a luxurious bed-and-breakfast stop along the Cider Route.

Four great soft cheeses – Camembert, Pont l’Evêque, Neufchâtel and Livarot – star on the Norman cheese board.

There’s more than meets the eye to Cherbourg, especially since the opening, in 2002, of its latest attraction, La Cité de la Mer (see Cité de la Mer, Cherbourg). For a good view of the port, drive to the hilltop Fort du Roule, which houses the Musée de la Libération, recalling the events leading to Cherbourg’s liberation on 27 June 1944. Most activity is centred on the flower-filled market square, pl Généralde-Gaulle, and along shopping streets such as rue Tour-Carrée and rue de la Paix. The town’s collection of fine art in the spacious Musée Thomas-Henry includes portraits by Jean-François Millet (see Gruchy). Parc Emmanuel Liais has small botanical gardens and a densely packed Musée d’Histoire Naturelle.

De Cru cider, which uses only one variety of apple, is produced in this distillery just south of Dieppe. Stock up in the shop; if you have time, visit the exhibition about cider-making.

This new attraction, which creates an enthralling “subaquatic sensation”, has proved extremely popular, so in high season it’s advisable to arrive as early in the day as possible. The former maritime station is now home to Europe’s deepest aquarium. An added attraction is Le Redoutable, the first visitable French nuclear-powered submarine (built at Cherbourg). All of this introduces the visitor to the wonders of the underwater world, and to human adventures and achievements there. Allow three hours for your visit.

The founder and leading light of Impressionism was brought up in Le Havre. Having moved to Paris, he returned regularly to paint in Honfleur, Rouen, Étretat and Varengeville. In 1883 he settled in Giverny, where he spent the rest of his life (see Fondation Claude Monet, Giverny).

This pretty stone-built village in the Suisse Normande (see La Suisse Normande, La Suisse Normande) boasts one of Europe’s largest model railways (see Musée du Chemin de Fer Miniature), but its main attraction is the wide range of holiday activities on offer.

Merovingian King Clovis (465–511) founded the French state by defeating the Romans and uniting disparate tribes.